


Little Fingers Hold the Tightest

by Paladin-Pile (UserFromPluto)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Black Lion pov, Bonding, Cuddles, Everyone gets a POV, Fluff, Gen, Mentions of Violence, PTSD, Smol Shiro, Team Feels, Team Voltron as Family, kid-related adorableness, precious bby Shiro needs a hug, prepare to have your heart hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 16:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11650071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UserFromPluto/pseuds/Paladin-Pile
Summary: After the final battle with Zarkon, the Voltron team begins a desperate search for Shiro, but not even Slav’s ramblings on quantum realities could have prepared them for what they find.Shiro has been turned into a child--a bright-eyed, scarred little boy with one arm and no memories--and although they try their best to accommodate the change into their already-chaotic lives, no one quite anticipated just how challenging it would be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm SO excited this day has finally come! This story is close to my heart and I'm thrilled to have the amazing [Wolviecat](http://wolviecat.tumblr.com/) as my partner for this mini bang <3\. You can find her art in chapters 3 and 4, as well as on tumblr. Also a HUGE thanks to the small army of beta's that helped me with this, I would have never been able to do it without you: [mighty-trash,](http://mighty-trash.tumblr.com/) [crazy-indigo-child,](http://crazy-indigo-child.tumblr.com/) [notdeadjack,](http://notdeadjack.tumblr.com/) [lordofthebigtimesupernatural](http://lordofthebigtimesupernatural.tumblr.com/). It took a village to write this kids...

 

 

   When they stumble into the blue lion, Lance is shaking from both relief and shock.

   Hunk is still pale, arms full of dirty black paladin armour, and Shiro’s prosthetic arm is tucked under his own. Two of the mechanical fingers are broken and the wrist hangs limp; chillingly still without its owner.

  Keith is right behind them, arms wrapped around the small form of the child that he is carrying, and Lance has to tear his gaze away from the tuft of white hair barely visible under the red paladin’s chin. Still reeling, Lance falls into the pilot’s seat and urges Blue into the sky, leaving the trading ship far behind them.

  “Allura?” he calls shakily. “We have Shiro. We're coming back.”

   Allura’s response is nearly drowned out by Pidge and Coran’s cheering. A flood of questions come next, but Lance cuts them off.

  “We’ll tell you everything when we get there, I promise,” he says. “Just _please_ , open us a wormhole.”

  Lance watches as Keith slumps to the cockpit floor, and he can still hardly believe that the child in the red paladin’s lap is _Shiro_. Shiro, who has been missing for months and is somehow, _impossibly_ , a child. Shiro, who has absolutely no memory of anything before he became this way, and is staring at them all with wide, liquid-grey eyes. It’s _Shiro_ who is wrapped in a light brown alien tunic, one that looks like it belongs in a Star Wars movie, leaving his feet and arms bare. Well, one arm. The other arm ends just below the elbow, and the mass of old scars swathing the limb draws Lance’s eyes like a magnet.

  He’s so small, so achingly vulnerable. The once-mighty Black paladin, now in a frail little body, has spent the past however-long on a dirty and overcrowded trader’s ship, having been picked up on some god-forsaken planet and passed around to who-knows-how-many people. It was only by pure luck that they passed close enough to the ship for the black lion to sense Shiro, thrashing in her hangar and roaring so loudly their bones shook.

  Lance grits his teeth and forces himself to look back at the instruments, but he can’t resist glancing over every once in awhile. Shiro looks to be around five or six years old, and even though Keith isn’t a large person by any means, he’s doing his best to engulf Shiro in his arms, hunching his body protectively over the boy’s head. Hunk is still unusually silent, and Lance figures he is in shock.

  Keith’s hands are trembling, and he is visibly trying to compose himself. He can’t seem to let go of Shiro, to stop touching him, and he carefully reaches up to feel the boy’s forehead. Shiro doesn’t look too comfortable with the closeness, uncertainty written all over his face as his eyes dart between the three paladins. He must realize Keith won’t hurt him, however, because he allows himself to be held.

 “Are you alright?” Keith asks finally, voice hoarse. It’s the first words he has spoken since they entered. “Does anything hurt?”

  “No, I’m...I’m ok,” Shiro says bravely, and any leftover doubt Lance might have had that it’s really him vanishes immediately. Shiro’s voice is small and child-like, missing the deep timbre they are used to hearing from him, but still there is an undeniable Shiro-ness that Lance knows he would recognize anywhere.

  “Where are we going?” the boy asks shyly, poking his head out from under Keith’s arm and looking out the viewscreen with wonder.

  “We’re going home,” Keith answers firmly. “Back to the castle.” Shiro’s eyes grow wide as saucers and he bounces a little.

  “You live in a castle?” he gasps, and a faint smile crosses Keith’s face at his excitement.

  “You do too,” he reminds Shiro. "We all live there.”

   Carefully, so as not to startle him, Keith shifts in his cross-legged spot on the floor and maneuvers Shiro to face him. The gesture brings Shiro’s attention back to the person holding him, and he tilts his head, studying Keith.

  “What was your name again?” he asks politely, and Lance winces. Keith’s expression falls and he strokes Shiro’s hair gently, a few seconds passing in silence before he speaks.

  “My name is Keith,” the red paladin replies, eyes never leaving Shiro’s face. “And this is Lance and Hunk.” He gestures to the other boys and Shiro studies them, brow furrowed and eyes lingering as if trying to make sense of a puzzle.

  “Do you...remember us? At all?” Keith asks quietly. Shiro bites his lip and looks pained.

  "I..." he begins, looking at each of them in turn, obviously thinking hard. "There's something, but... I don't know! I can't...remember." He looks worried, and there are little stress lines forming on his brow that makes Lance’s heart twist.

  "Keith, don't pressure him," he says suddenly, sick with helplessness. "He’s had enough stress."

   Shiro turns toward the new voice, but Lance is too much of a coward to meet his eyes, and stubbornly fixes them on the instrument panel. Nothing more is said, and they pass through the wormhole without any difficulty.

   The castle looms stark and shining before them, and Shiro gasps again. He looks like he wants to wriggle out of Keith's arms, but after glancing up at the dark-haired boy, he stills, apparently choosing to tolerate the embrace instead.

   They land with a slight shudder of Blue's body, and when the four of them emerge, Allura, Coran, and Pidge are already waiting. Their eyes grow wide as soon as they see Shiro, but Keith quickly shoots them a look that cuts off any chaotic reunion that might have happened. They all freeze for a few seconds before Coran nods sharply, ushering them out of the hangar and to the control room.

   "Please explain," the advisor says as soon as the door shuts behind them. Allura's gaze says the same without words, but Pidge is entranced with Shiro, expression equal parts worried and excited. Lance glances over at Hunk, who seems to have regained some of his normal color but is still clutching the black paladin’s suit and arm. Keith sets Shiro down in front of him and wraps his arms protectively around the boy’s shoulders, while Lance glances between them and the Alteans, swallowing hard.

   "We don't know anything really," he says, hyperaware of the tension in the room. "He was on that ship. One of the aliens said they found him on the planet Rytok just like he is now. No clue how he got that way or how to turn him back."

  Allura’s lips tighten, eyes alarmed, but Coran takes a deep breath and nods again.

  "There's always a way," he says, turning to open a screen at his station. "We'll start with some scans to see if we can detect any traces of magic or unusual energy patterns." Pidge shuffles over to Coran for a closer look, but then turns her studying gaze on the other paladins.

  "Are you guys ok?" she asks, and Lance sighs, letting his shoulders fall. Keith and Hunk are silent and show no signs of speaking up, so Lance replies for them.

  "We’re fine,” he says quietly, walking to his own station and sinking into the seat. “It’s just a shock I guess.”

  Resting his head on the seat back, he turns to look at Shiro. The small boy hasn’t said a word the entire time, eyes flicking to whoever is speaking as the conversation continues. After a while his gaze settles on something to Lance’s right, and the blue paladin turns to see what he is looking at. There stands Hunk, pale and trembling as he stares blankly at the pile in his arms.

  “Hunk? Buddy, hey.” Standing up and moving closer to his friend, Lance gently rubs his arms. “It’s alright, you can put the stuff down now,” he soothes, and Hunk takes a deep breath, nodding shakily.  

   “Y-Yeah, ok. Sorry I just...Finding his arm like this and not knowing where he was-” his voice trails off and his eyes water. “It was scary.”

   Lance doesn’t blame him. Stumbling across a swap moon and finding an auctioneer hawking off your missing friend and leader’s prosthetic arm is not a pleasant experience. It took much threatening and cajoling to track down where the arm had come from, and retrace its path without knowing whether Shiro was alive or not. Thanks to the black lion's freak-out, they had finally found the armor in the corner of an old trading ship, and mini Shiro curled in a ball next to it with a paper tag around his neck, telling the predicted fetching price of both the armor and boy.

   “I know,” Lance murmurs, shoving the disturbing memory away and helping Hunk set everything down. The armor and undersuit is scratched and dirty, and the limb makes an unsettling clank as he places it on the floor. Out of the corner of his eye Lance sees that Shiro is still watching them with an unreadable expression while Keith, Allura, and Coran are conversing in hushed voices. Suddenly Lance hears a tiny squeal and turns to see Pidge covering her face with her hands.

   “He’s so _cute!_ ” she groans dramatically. “I can't take it anymore, I just want to squeeze him!”

   Quickly she moves across the room with arms outstretched, eyes sparkling with joy, but the second Shiro spots her coming his body tenses, eyes wide. Lance is struck with realization, and grabs Pidge’s arm before she can reach him.

   “Pidge,” he says haltingly. “He doesn’t remember anything. Not even us.”

   Pidge flicks her gaze between Lance and Shiro, and he can see her silent plea for this to be a joke, that Shiro is  _really_ back and hasn’t changed any more than he already has, that he hasn't forgotten them. When Lance doesn’t respond she opens her mouth, then closes it, shoulders falling as she steps back.

   “But...he’s fine with Keith. Why?”

   “Honestly, I don’t know. Keith was the first one to get to him, and has kinda been looking out for him. I think Shiro knows Keith won’t _hurt_ him at least, but I don’t think he trusts any of us.”

   They’re talking about Shiro as if he isn't even there, but Shiro doesn’t jump in; doesn’t protest in the least. Pidge stares for a long moment, and Hunk comes up to put a hand on her shoulder.

   “I missed him,” she says finally, in a small, pained voice. “I missed you Shiro.”

   Her hand reaches out instinctively, but she stops before touching him, and though Shiro looks concerned at her distress he still shrinks back. They wait for him to say something--anything--but he doesn’t, just stares at them with wide eyes that are empty of any sort of recognition.

   Lance’s heart sinks, the familiar feeling of loss creeping back once again.

  



	2. Chapter 2

 

 

   As the days pass, Allura recognizes the signs of trauma in Shiro, even as young as he is. He gets confused easily, has nightmares, and eats sporadically, among other symptoms that Coran carefully makes note of.

   At first they assume that Shiro’s new lack of memory would relieve him of flashbacks, but that illusion is shattered on the fifth day of his return when he trips and falls, scraping his knee on an uneven tile.

   Only Allura and Keith are in the room at the time, turning quickly when they hear a thud and a small cry. Shiro is on the ground, face scrunched with pain and clutching his knee as a tiny drop of blood runs down his leg. Allura's maternal instincts kick in immediately, and with an aching heart she reaches out to him, only to have him scream in terror and scramble backwards over the floor, small chest heaving with panicked breaths.

   The other paladins quickly come running, but it takes nearly an hour to calm Shiro down, trying to talk him back from his terror without being able to get close. Eventually Shiro’s breathing returns to normal and his eyes lose their glaze, but the sickening pain in Allura's stomach remains for a long time.

   Lance, Hunk, and Coran are the only ones on board who have any experience caring for children, and even as it is, they are woefully unprepared. At first they flounder, still in shock and focused more on finding out how to turn Shiro back than taking care of him. On top of that, caring for Shiro is made harder by the fact that the boy is painfully shy, obviously uneasy and fearing the consequences of even the smallest actions or requests.

   It isn’t until he speaks up one day without being prompted, shyly complaining about being hungry and then immediately falling asleep on the floor, that the paladins truly wake up to their situation. They begin to prioritize plans for his long term care instead of looking for a quick fix, and start a schedule with specific times for meals, sleeping, and shifts on who would stay with him.

   As the days pass, little Shiro begins to warm up to them and get used to his surroundings, smiling more and opening up like a blooming flower in the sun. At any other time Allura would be worried about how easily he trusts new people, but right now she is grateful for it. They must also adjust to the fact that mini-Shiro rarely speaks, mostly relying on nonverbal cues to communicate what he wants. His presence is both familiar and foreign, and to be honest, she doesn't know what to make of it.

   Shiro is different as a kid. He’s mischievous, tactile, and overflowing with an innocent, child-like happiness that leaves the castle halls echoing with his giggles. He plays hide and seek in the vents, chases the mice, and pushes buttons on the control panel that he isn’t supposed to touch. He gets anxious if left alone, and always tries to stay within arm’s length of at least one person. Even if said person is doing nothing but having a conversation with someone else, Shiro will scramble over and wrap his arms around their waist from behind, peeking out to watch what is going on. The others soon learn to never let him out of their sight, or they will spend a long time trying to calm him down.

   Surprisingly, it is Coran that is able to give them the best tips on caring for Shiro and his trauma, having spent much time in Altea studying recovery methods for soldiers. Small notes appear all around the castle, with Coran’s scrawled reminders that help keep them in track.

 _GENTLE,_ most of them read. _SLOW._

......

 

   Pidge’s eyes drift over to where Shiro is seated at the dinner table, looking far too small in the giant chair. His whole hand is wrapped around the handle of the spoon, as small children tend to do, and he rubs his tired eyes with the stump of his right arm. She wants to wrap him in blankets and cuddle him for days, especially whenever his lip wobbles like it does when he is tired. She sighs and turns back to her own food, knowing they must take care of themselves in order to do their best to help him.

   Shiro’s head starts to nod, eyes blinking sluggishly, until finally he slumps forward, head settling on the table with a soft thud. There’s food goo on his face and his chubby cheek is squished by the hard surface of the table. It’s unbelievably cute, but for some strange reason Pidge wants to cry.

 

.....

 

   Lance sighs for the hundredth time that hour and rubs his exhausted eyes. The search for a cure for Shiro has been running non-stop, and at any time of the day or night at least one member of the team is awake and working. The Blade of Marmora and Slav are understandably busy in the aftermath of Zarkon’s defeat, but the paladins, Allura, and Coran are mostly confined to the control room, pouring over data and searching for clues.

   In addition to Shiro’s problem, they still have the Galra to worry about, and there are a few diplomatic missions that can't wait. Today they are all at their respective stations, checking the nearby solar systems for distress signals.

   Allura is bent over a table, consulting a stack of Altean books and relaying the info to the others. Since everyone is gathered in this room, Shiro is there too, and he curiously comes up to her, standing on tiptoes and peeking over the edge to see what she is doing. Allura looks down and smiles at him, then returns to her work, absently reaching out and ruffling his hair.

   The reaction is instantaneous. Shiro lights up with an impossibly-wide grin, eyes squinted shut in beaming happiness. Giggling, he turns and grabs her wrist with his left hand to keep it on his head.

   Allura complies and keeps ruffling, debriefing forgotten as Shiro’s happy laughs fill the room. Shiro brings up his right arm as well, but without a hand all he can do is touch Allura’s sleeve. The message is clear anyway and Allura crouches in front of him, using her other hand to stroke his cheek. Shiro makes a happy sound and nuzzles into her hand, and the others watch in amusement when Allura nearly melts into a puddle.

   There is a bittersweet tightness in Lance’s chest, and he grips the console tighter. Silently he vows to show Shiro more affection when he gets back to normal, and by the expressions on the other paladin’s faces, they feel the same. With how long it had taken Shiro to be comfortable with touches he did not initiate, the paladins count it as a small victory.

   Being as young as he is now, Shiro is more open, and the heart he wears on his sleeve is full of scars. He can’t hide them anymore; can’t hide the painful darkness or the raw need of comfort. In Lance’s opinion, this was Shiro’s greatest fault as an adult, and he didn’t want to think about what would have happened if their leader and friend had continued in his well-meaning but self-destructive ways.

   Lance feels sick at the knowledge of what Shiro had been carrying alone, and for the first time he thinks that just maybe some good can come out of all this. If they can help Shiro, even a little, Lance thinks it would be worth it.

 _Ruffle Shiro’s hair more_ , he scrawls on a notepad.

 ......

 

   “Shiro! Hey, get back here!”

   Pidge sighs and moves her electronics out of the danger zone, wincing when a loud crash signals the demise of a hapless bookshelf. Lance’s laughter bounces around the lounge room as he and Shiro play a rowdy game of tag, and though they are being quite disruptive, Pidge can’t bring herself to leave the room.

   Since she has no younger siblings and zero experience with children, Pidge left the babysitting mostly to Hunk and Lance, devoting her time instead to looking for a cure for Shiro. Of course she still makes time for the little guy and lets him sit on her lap occasionally while she works, softly explaining what she is doing while Shiro blinks slowly in response, eventually falling asleep on her shoulder. It’s impossibly sweet, and she wishes she could spend more time with him instead of working constantly, but at least they have grown closer and Shiro no longer shies away from her.

   Each of them except for Keith have managed to reconnect with Shiro in their own ways, a fact that puzzles Pidge to no end. She knows Keith is trying--in his genuine, awkward way--to get through to Shiro, and although the boy is comfortable being around the red paladin, it isn't nearly the level of bond she would expect from the two who were the closest before this all began.

   A warm chuckle from her left distracts her from her thoughts and she looks up, smiling at the sight of Hunk approaching with a plate of fresh-baked cookies, while an eager Keith follows behind him like a puppy.

   “Coran’s gonna be mad when he sees what a mess they’re making!” Hunk says, plopping down next to Pidge and letting her snatch a few cookies. Keith slips in an arm from the other side, gathering as many as he can hold before Hunk shoos his hand away. Pidge rolls her eyes and chows down while Lance and Shiro come running over. Shiro doesn't hesitate to climb onto Hunk’s knees, taking a cookie with a polite “thank you,” and launching over into Lance’s lap.

   Pidge finds she likes these moments the best--the five of them just sitting around, doing normal friend things. Shiro’s there-but-not-there presence is the only thing keeping it from being perfect, but she has to admit there are at least a few silver linings. For one, Shiro is extremely adorable and cuddly. Just watching him with his big round eyes and hair falling in his face, chewing on the baked treat while crumbs drop everywhere, gives her a warm fuzzy feeling.

   After finishing his third cookie, Shiro jumps up and tugs on Lance’s arm, clearly wanting to go play even as Lance protests he isn’t done talking. Finally he gives in and the two thunder off, leaving Pidge, Hunk, and Keith huddled in a loose semi-circle on the floor. Hunk begins brushing up crumbs, but out of the corner of her eye Pidge sees Keith staring down at his lap, fiddling with his hands. Her curiosity stirrs but she knows better than to press, and when he finally speaks, he brings up the exact topic Pidge was suspecting he would.

   “I don’t really know how to connect with Shiro,” he begins hesitantly, words heavy with weight as if admitting some dark secret. “I mean, he’s ok with me around and stuff, but I don’t know what to do to bond with him.”

   He falls silent with a serious look on his face, and Pidge smiles a little. _Bonding_ was Keith’s go-to word for anything pertaining to relationships, and it makes Pidge’s heart clench in sympathy. Keith and Shiro were so close before all this happened, that she could only imagine how awful Keith felt now that it was gone.

   “You’re doing great so far Keith,” Hunk assures. “He warmed up to you first, remember?”

   “Yeah, but I don’t know how to act around him,” Keith sighs. “I was never around kids very much, so I don’t know what to do. He’s sort of comfortable with me, but not like he is with you and Lance.”

   Hunk hums and nods thoughtfully, moving to make room for Lance as he comes back to the group, flopping down in exhaustion. Hunk pats his leg fondly before continuing.

   “Me and Lance have loads of experience with kids because of our big families,” he says. “But don’t let that discourage you. My advice would be to just do for him whatever it is you wanted people to do with _you_ as a kid.”

   Keith considers this for a moment, brows furrowed in concentration. He glances slowly between Lance and Hunk, then takes a deep breath. Nodding decisively, he gets up and walks over to where Shiro is playing.

   “Shiro?” he asks tentatively, sitting down cross-legged in front of the child.

   “Yah?” Shiro says, politely setting down his toy to give his attention to Keith. Keith swallows hard and chews his lip, working up the courage to look Shiro in the eye. Finally he does, and rests his hands on the boy’s shoulders.  

   “Shiro,” Keith says again, pausing to choose his words. With a slow, stilted movement, he brings a hand up to touch Shiro’s face. It’s the gentlest the others have ever seen him treat anything, and they hold their breath in anticipation. Finally he collects himself and speaks.

   “Shiro, I love you.”

   Pidge feels like the air has been punched out of her lungs, but she doesn’t dare take another breath, too afraid she’ll break the moment or miss something. Of all the things Keith could have done, she was not expecting _that_.

   “I love you so much and I’ll _never_ leave you alone,” Keith continues, gaze earnest and never leaving Shiro’s face. “Everything’s going to be ok, I’ll protect you.” His voice wavers with emotion, but he speaks quietly and firmly. Pidge’s insides begin to ache and she wraps her arms slowly around her stomach.

   Shiro’s eyes are wide, and after a long pause he places his hand over Keith’s. For a moment he just stares. Then finally, he climbs into Keith’s lap, burying his face under Keith’s chin and wrapping his mismatched arms tightly around his neck. Keith hugs him back just as tightly, one hand rubbing Shiro’s back while the other cradles his head. The silence lasts for a moment longer, until being broken by a loud sniff from Hunk.

   “Ok wow, Keith,” he murmurs, and Lance laughs wetly.

   “I guess that works too,” he says. Keith looks over at them, mildly confused at their reaction, but obviously happy.

 _Looks like Shiro isn’t the only one that needs love around here,_ Pidge thinks, then glances over at the fond expressions of the blue and yellow paladins. _To be honest, we all do._

   She scoots closer to Hunk and he puts an arm around her with a warm smile. Keith stands up with his Shiro-barnacle still clinging to him and comes over to the rest of the group.

   Shiro’s head peeks out and he smiles at the others, reaching out his little hand to grasp the next nearest person, who happens to be Pidge.

   Slowly, the cracks in their little family--ones they didn’t even realize were there--begin to heal.

 

 .......

 

   For a small human with only one hand, Shiro does pretty well at his daily tasks, and the paladins are often impressed at his ingenuity in figuring out how to do something. He is determined and (usually) patient, but his attention span and temper has understandably shortened due to his age.

   The others try to let him be as independent as possible, but sometimes it’s hard to watch him struggle. Like now, as he valiantly tries to maneuver his plate and dispense food goo into it at the same time.

   Keith can’t help but be amazed at Shiro’s resourcefulness, and he watches carefully in order to decide whether he should offer help or not. Shiro is oblivious to the silence as the paladins stop talking to watch, and Keith feels equal parts proud and pensive.

   Shiro has an intense look of concentration on his face, little tongue peeking out of his lips as he carefully balances the plate between his chin and outstretched arm. With his left hand he grabs the nozzle and dispenses the goo onto his plate, being careful not to spill any. He’s doing great so far and Keith opens his mouth to compliment him, but the words are barely formed before everything happens at once.

   The goo coming from the hose piles up just a little off center, making the plate lose it’s precarious balance. Before anyone can react it slips off Shiro’s arm and hits the floor with a crash, shards and goo flying everywhere. Shiro stands there, stunned for a moment, before going to take a step.

   “Don’t move!” Allura shouts quickly, rushing forward. She scoops Shiro up and carries him out of the crash zone, sitting him on the counter so his bare feet are safe from glass. This seems to snap Shiro out of his daze and he hangs his head in shame.

   “I’m sorry,” he says, lip wobbling. “I wanted to do it by myself.”

   “Hey it’s ok,” Keith soothes, quickly moving to Shiro’s side. “Nothing to worry about, I’ve dropped plates before too.”

   “Yeah we all have!” Pidge pipes up. “It was just an accident.” She and Lance start cleaning the floor while Coran fills another bowl for Shiro.

   “But I can’t do anything right!” Shiro wails. “I can’t even get dressed by myself or sleep alone, even if I’m a big boy and should be able too!”

   It’s the most they've heard him say since he was found, and Keith’s heart throbs with pain at the haunted look in Shiro’s eyes. The scar on his small face suddenly looks more ominous, and Keith swallows hard.

   “That’s still ok, we’re here to help each other,” he says slowly. “We don’t mind at all.”

   “No!” Shiro shouts. “It’s all because of this stupid arm!” Letting out a scream of anger, he slams his right arm down on the end of the counter repeatedly, and Keith and Hunk both lunge to stop him.

   “Shiro, no!” Hunk yelps. He grabs the limb before Shiro can do any more damage, but the boy continues to growl in frustration, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. Hunk wraps him in a bear hug to stop his thrashing, but Shiro mindlessly pummels him with his arm and fist, wordless shouts filling the kitchen.

   They all stand helpless, at a loss of what to do, when suddenly Shiro goes still, blinking rapidly. Hunk pulls away to look at him, but Shiro is staring off into space, a surprised but curious look on his face.

   The paladins glance at each other in puzzlement as Shiro continues to stare. The boy tilts his head, then nods, and the situation is so bizarre that Keith can do nothing more then stand there with his mouth slightly open.

   “Why?” Shiro asks finally, and Keith furrows his brow.

   “Why what?” he responds.

   “Shhh!” Shiro exclaims, waving his hand in Keith’s face insistently. He doesn't even look at the red paladin, eyes still unfocused as if listening to something with intense interest. He sits perfectly still, and his breathing slowly eases out of its panicked pace.

   “Ok,” Shiro says after a while, then pauses. There are a few more beats of silence and when Hunk tries to get Shiro’s attention, Shiro doesn’t react.

   “But what if I can’t?” The boy says after a moment, voice sad.

   “What’s going on?” Lance whispers loudly, but no one replies, watching with baited breath as the scene unfolds. After another few seconds, Shiro looks around the room as if searching for something.

   “Who are you?” he asks, and a chilled shudder runs up Keith’s spine. The spookiness of this one-sided conversation is making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and the room seems to tingle with a strange energy.

   Keith steps forward, determined to put a stop to whatever this is, but before he can do anything Shiro’s face falls into a pout and his shoulders slump. He turns to Hunk and leans on his chest, apparently no longer in the trance he was before. The yellow paladin immediately starts rubbing Shiro’s back and the boy looks around shyly, noticing the others watching him. The tension is long gone from his small body and he looks relaxed enough to fall asleep.

   “Shiro?” Keith asks tentatively, and to his relief the boy’s eyes instantly meet his. Keith reaches out and Shiro grasps his hand, poking his small fingers between Keith’s own.

   “Warm,” he says. “Good.”

   “Uh...Shiro?” Lance asks slowly. “Who were you talking to?”

   Shiro blushes a little and looks at his feet. “N-no one!” he says hurriedly. “It's nothing. I’m not crazy or anything!” His little face gets progressively redder and Keith’s raises an eyebrow.

   “Oookay,” he says, exchanging another glance with the paladins. Allura stands in the corner, looking vaguely amused, but Coran has a pensive expression on his face, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. Finally the advisor speaks up.

   “No judgement from us!” he assures cheerfully. “You’re free to talk with whoever you like, real or imaginary.” He shoots the others a pointed look that forbids them from arguing, and Keith shrugs.

   He is intrigued and a little unnerved that a conversation with a mysterious being, even it was imaginary, could have such a drastic effect on Shiro. He looks back at the boy and sees him rubbing his arm, seemingly deep in thought.

   The castle seems to rumble under their feet.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

   “Lance is a weenie!” chants an Olkari cube as it floats by the doorway, and Lance facepalms dramatically. There are currently five cubes roaming the castle echoing the same message every twelve seconds, and Lance growls in frustration, taking a deep breath to collect himself. He loves Shiro, he really does, but _oh boy_ is his patience being tried right now.

   “Don’t get me wrong,” he says, turning back to the others. “I’m glad Shiro’s getting more comfortable around the castle, but staying sane during an intergalactic war is hard enough without him getting into mischief all the time!”

   “Aw come on, Lance,” chides Hunk, trying not to laugh as the cubes repeat the proclamation again. “He’s just curious and playful like all little boys. Need I remind you what _you_ were like at that age?”

   Lance sighs and shakes his head. “Why does it have to be me he picks on?” he mutters, pouting, and Pidge stifles a giggle, patting him on the shoulder.

   “Maybe because you made him eat those vegetables he didn’t like yesterday,” she suggests.

   “Can’t you just reset them, Coran?” Allura asks, but the advisor only tugs his mustache sheepishly.

   “Well, um. He may have…changed the password on me.”

   Pidge and Hunk snort loudly and burst out laughing, while Lance lets out an enraged scream. Shiro has conveniently made himself scarce.

   Deep down, Lance really is amused by the whole ordeal, but he’s sure he will be a lot _more_ amused when those cursed blocks are no longer wandering about besmirching his name.

   “Let him have his fun,” Keith says with a chuckle, and Lance rolls his eyes, sighing and grabbing his bayard to hunt down the remaining cubes. Keith follows with an amused smile, shaking his head. The others join them, and the subsequent game of hide-and-seek with both child and cubes is the most fun they've had in a long time.

 

.......

 

   Keith vigorously rubs his hair with a towel, letting himself bask in the warmth of the steamy shower room. The sound of Lance and Hunk’s enthusiastic singing and Shiro’s giggles drifts around him, and he can’t help but smile. The large room echoes with the slam of stall doors and the slapping of wet feet on the tile as they finish their showers one by one, and Keith makes a mental note to drag Pidge away from her computer within the next day and lock her in until she takes a shower herself.

   Pulling his shirt on, Keith grabs his towel and exits the shower stall, rounding the corner to see Shiro in his tailored Altean pajama pants, standing in front of the full-length mirror. He is curiously inspecting the many scars that litter his small body, and Keith’s steps come to a halt. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Lance and Hunk pause as they realize what is happening, and for a moment they all stand there, holding their breath while waiting for Shiro’s reaction.

   “Wow, I must have gotten in a lot of fights!” Shiro finally says in awe, causing the others to share a nervous look. Keith takes a steadying breath and slowly moves towards Shiro, leaning against the wall next to the mirror as casually as he can manage. Shiro is especially vocal today, and although that is good sign, Keith doesn’t want to say the wrong thing and make him close up again.

   “Yeah, I suppose you did,” he says carefully, and Shiro looks up at him with a puzzled expression.

   “Don’t you know?” he asks.

   Keith pauses, feeling the eyes of the other two on him. None of them know how to approach the subject, but here Shiro is, asking them about past tortures that none of them know about because the adult version of himself had kept those horrors locked inside. The thought makes something bitter and sad curl in his stomach, and he longs to go back in time and force some sense into their friend and leader.

 _“What were we to you, Shiro?”_ he wonders. _“We’re in this together, you can trust us. We could have handled anything you could put on us. Why did you try to carry it alone? We care about you, you don’t have to protect us…”_

   “Keith?”

   Shiro’s voice startles him out of his thoughts, and when he looks down Shiro is gazing up at him, face full of an innocent curiosity that Keith can’t bear to see. The small fingers of Shiro’s left hand tangle in the material of his pajama pants, and what’s left of his right arm twitches as if wanting to do the same. Lance and Hunk approach slowly, and dropping his eyes down to his own hands, Keith fiddles nervously with the wet towel.

   “We weren’t with you then, and you never told us about it,” he finally admits.

   Shiro’s shoulders slump and he turns back to the mirror, poking another scar with a thoughtful expression.

   “So I wasn’t a kid when I got them?” he finally asks.

   “No.”

   “And nobody knows what happened?”

   “No one but you.” _And whoever did it._ Keith thinks, but figures Shiro doesn’t need to hear that.

   “But I _don’t_ know,” Shiro says quietly, lowering his arm and wrapping it around his bare middle. Biting his lip, he lets his gaze roam to each of the other boys, eyes wide and uncertain.

   “Do you...do you think it will happen again?” he asks meekly.

   A molten pain stabs through Keith’s heart, but before he can react Lance is dropping to his knees in front of Shiro, reaching out to smooth a hand through Shiro’s fluffy forelock and then around to the back of his head. He gently pulls the boy into a hug, and Shiro goes easily, tucking his face into Lance’s shoulder and pressing close in an unconscious search for comfort. Lance squeezes him and rests his cheek on Shiro’s still-damp hair. Keith kneels beside them and places a hand on Shiro’s back.

   “Never,” he murmurs fervently. “You’re safe now, I promise.”

   “We’ll protect you,” Lance says determinedly, and Hunk nods in agreement.

   “We’re the greatest warriors in the universe, no one is ever going to hurt you again,” he vows. At the reassuring words, Shiro slowly relaxes into the embrace, and his arm comes up to curl around Lance’s back.

   “Okay,” he says simply.

.....

  
   

   The lights in Shiro’s room dim automatically as he climbs into bed, and Pidge yawns as she pulls the blankets over him.

   “There’s a pack of water here if you get thirsty,” she says, pointing to the shelf next to the bed, “And the nightlight is plugged in.”

   Mentally she goes down the list of things on Shiro’s bedtime routine, not wanting to skip anything and cause him undue distress. It had taken much time and lessons learned the hard way before they finally got the daily schedule just right, and they still struggle sometimes. It wasn’t easy to change the castle routine to accommodate a child, but they make it work.

   Usually Lance is the one to tuck Shiro in, but today he is busy with a mission and Pidge had eagerly volunteered to take his place. Shiro is especially snuggly when he is tired, and any sane living thing would jump on the opportunity to hear his soft little sighs, and carry him as he rubbed his eyes with a little fist.

   “Pidge?”

   The girl startles out of her thoughts to see Shiro looking at her, chewing his lip nervously like he does when he wants to ask for something.

   “Yeah?” she replies softly, and when he doesn’t answer right away she smiles in encouragement. “What is it Shiro?”

   Shiro purses his little lips in a pout, glancing up at her through dark eyelashes before dropping his gaze, ashamed.

   “I...don’t want to sleep alone,” he admits, little fingers curling into her sleeve, and Pidge swallows the sudden lump in her throat. The fact that Shiro is still bashful and hesitant about asking for something he so clearly needs makes a heavy ache settle in her chest.

   “Of course!” she whispers, sliding under the covers and lying down, pulling him close to her. “Anytime, Shiro. I always love having sleepovers with you.”

   Shiro giggles softly, eyes shining, and he squirms a little to get comfortable. Pidge is about to dim the lights further when Shiro lifts the stump of his arm towards her, staring expectantly.

   “Lance always kisses my arm when it’s time for me to sleep,” he says, and Pidge freezes, looking down at Shiro’s earnest little face.

  “He does?”

   “Mmhm, and my forehead,” Shiro states matter-of-factly. “And then he says, ‘Goodnight Sweetheart,’ and it makes me happy.” He nuzzles into the pillow shyly and Pidge reaches up to trace the scar over his small nose. Her eyes soften and a tender smile appears on her lips.

   “Alright then,” she says, ruffling Shiro’s hair, “Let’s not break the tradition.”

   Leaning forward, she gently takes the end of Shiro’s right arm in her hand and presses a light a kiss to it, right over the soft material of the sock. Then she kisses the boy's forehead just as tenderly.

   “Goodnight sweetheart,” she whispers, words catching in the tightness of her throat, and when she pulls back Shiro’s eyes are already closed, a contented smile on his face.

   He snuggles closer to her, clutching a stuffed toy of some obscure Altean creature. His hair is extra fluffy after his bath, and even though Pidge isn’t a sentimental person, she has to admit it’s the most precious thing she’s ever seen. Quietly she grabs her handheld device from the end table and snaps a picture.

   “Good call Lance,” she whispers, turning off the lights. The ethereal glow of the galaxy passing by outside filters through the small window, and with the starlight covering them like a blanket, they fall asleep.

 

 ......

 

   “How’s it going?”

   Keith walks up to Coran’s station in the control room, taking a moment to observe the network of data being processed. Coran glances at him but doesn’t reply for a moment. The tired lines of his face are more pronounced in the blue light of the screen, and he looks haggard and bone-weary. It is well past midnight, and the castle is drifting in a low, humming silence.

   “Every lead turns into a dead end I’m afraid,” Coran says, stopping his typing to grip the edge of the display. In the months when they had been looking for Shiro, the advisor had been working tirelessly to track him down, and now he's right back at it; spending long hours searching for a way to turn Shiro back to his normal age. It had been weeks, and from just one look at his expression Keith knows the verdict isn't good.

   “I hate to say this Number 4, but I've got nothing,” Coran says, dragging a hand down his face. “There’s no cure. No means of turning Shiro back. I tried _everything_.” His voice is heavy, and Keith reaches over to turn off the display.

   “Right now, Shiro’s alright,” he replies. “We found him and he’s safe. You won't do yourself or anyone any good if you're running yourself ragged. You wouldn't drink nunvil while working, doesn't lack of sleep do the same thing to your brain?”

   Coran chuckles softly and nods. “True, true. You’re right my boy,” he says. Turning away, he rubs his eyes, letting his shoulders slump. Keith isn’t one to needlessly break silence, so he says nothing, simply looking out over the universe with his hands in his pockets until Coran speaks again.

   “It's nice in a way,” he says softly. “Having a child in the castle again.”

   His voice is more solemn and unguarded than Keith has ever heard it, and it creates a strange weight in his chest.

   “I remember when these hallways would ring with young laughter. It's seems so long ago,” Coran continues, then huffs a humorless laugh. “I suppose it was.”

   He stares off again and Keith wonders if he had any children himself, but refrains from asking. He wants to comfort the older man, but was never good with words, so he settles for putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

   “We can’t give up hope, but if this is the way it has to be…” Keith trails off, a cold fear choking his throat at the thought, but he pushes it away.

   “We’ll deal with what comes,” he says finally. “You’ve done what you could, Coran. Get some sleep.”

   Coran looks over at him. His eyes are tired, but his smile is genuine. Patting Keith’s hand, he bids him goodnight, and they go their separate ways through the dark bowels of the castle.

 

.......

 

   Shiro hums a mindless tune as he patters down the hallway, mice dancing around his feet and trying to keep up. Pidge had given him the Very Important job of bringing a tool to Hunk in his workshop, and of course he had been excited to help. It was nice to feel useful, and Shiro clutches the item tightly in his hand, being careful not to drop it as he follows the directions to Hunk. He always had a bit of trouble telling his left from right, so Pidge made it easy for him.

_Two turns to my hand side, then one to the no hand side. Straight ahead for as long as it takes me to sing the Princess’ nighttime song, then another turn on the hand side._

   Shiro reaches the third turn and continues down the hallway, glancing around nervously when he realizes it is getting darker. Shadows flicker on the walls, making the mice squeak and run away, and Shiro’s breath catches in his throat. He pauses mid-step, biting his lip before starting to sing the lullaby the princess had taught them. He knows the words in Altean, but because of the pounding of his heart they come out in little more than a whisper.

 _See only the stars,_   
_The day is already asleep,_   
_and your eyes,_ _  
__Are tired and small_

   He begins walking again as he sings, knowing he has to finish the song before he can make the last turn. These lesser used hallways are only dimly lit, and a strange sensation that he is somewhere else begins to take over Shiro’s mind. Foggy memories are crawling up his skin, gripping his chest, and he is terrified without knowing why.

   The sound of echoing footsteps sends a cold jolt through his chest and his breathing speeds up. He starts to move faster, but suddenly there is a flash of purple hands reaching out to grab him, and the whir of a strange machine he only knows as pain. The image is gone as quickly as it comes, but Shiro gasps sharply.

   The footsteps in the hallway stop, and Shiro claps his hand over his mouth to silence any more sounds. Trembling, he throws himself into a small alcove in the wall, curling himself tightly into the small space in a desperate yearning for safety. The cool embrace of the metal walls is grounding, but Shiro can’t think, surrounded only with a white static of dread.

 

   He’s so _scared._ A hot, liquid terror is filling his small body, and salty tears drip down his face and over his fingers. He wants to sob, but something buried deep inside his gut tells him to be _silent, silent,_ and he obeys. The footsteps resume and fade away, but only when the hallway is quiet once more does Shiro allow the first sobs to escape.

   Everything is so dark and Shiro trembles, trying to find something to remember. The only thing his mind can produce is the lullaby, and in a shaky, whispering voice, he continues singing, hitching breaths and sobs punctuating the foreign sounds.

 _See only the stars,_   
_They shine so brightly,_   
_See only the clouds,_ _  
__They fly so fast,_

 __  
Hear how the wind,  
Sing their love to you,   
Sleep, sleep well   
Until the morning begins.

   The castle creaks and groans and Shiro whimpers. The hot tears rolling down his face blind him even further, and with a sudden surge of recklessness he stumbles to his feet. The panic rolling through him gives him a hot, writhing strength, and he begins to run. Every muscle in his body is straining to push him away from danger, and the only thought his mind can form is that if he can get to Hunk, he will be safe. All the hallways look the same and he doesn’t know where he’s going, but he keeps running mindlessly.

   When he finally sees light coming from a doorway, he flings himself toward it, lungs burning and small legs aching with exhaustion. Bursting into the room he spots Hunk sitting on the floor, making repairs on the yellow lion.

   “Hunk! Hunk, help me!” he screams.

 

........  
  


   Shiro's scream jolts Hunk out of his thoughts and he turns, startled. He drops the parts he is holding, and in a blur of movement Shiro flings himself into his arms, shaking and sobbing aloud while his hand clutches at Hunk’s shirt.

   “What is it? Shiro, what’s wrong?” Hunk asks in panic, wrapping him up in his large, warm arms.

   “They’re after me, they're going to get me!” Shiro sobs.

   “Who?” Hunk asks.

   “I don’t know!”

   Hunk feels like his chest is caving in, holding Shiro tight as the boy trembles and cries, far more distressed than Hunk has ever seen him. It’s clear that he experienced some sort of flashback, since there is no one actually chasing him. He checks the hallway, just to be sure, before carefully cuddling Shiro to his chest.

   “Shh, shh, it’s ok, you’re safe,” he soothes. Shiro whimpers and shakes his head, so Hunk changes his tactic.

   “Would you feel safer if we went in the yellow lion?” he asks, and Shiro nods frantically, more tears spilling down his cheeks and soaking Hunk’s shirt. Yellow has already crouched and lowered the ramp to let them in, and Hunk thanks him mentally as he carries Shiro inside and settles into the pilot’s seat.

   “What are you doing here anyway?” he asks gently.

   “I was s’ppose to bring you this,” Shiro murmurs shakily, opening his hand to reveal the tool, and there are red marks on his palm from holding it so tight. “...was walking here, but it was really dark and I heard f-footsteps and g-got scared.” He looks up at Hunk with huge, frantic eyes, and his fingers grip Hunk’s shirt desperately.

   “I’m s-scared!” he wails, hiccupping between sobs. “I don’ know _why_!”

   Hunk is crying now too, heart aching with Shiro’s pain, and he pulls the boy back into his embrace, curling forward in the seat to wrap himself around the small body as much as possible. He begins rocking and murmuring soothing words, but it seems to have little effect. Eventually he begins to sing the deep, lilting melody of an Altean lullaby the princess had taught them, voice shaking with emotion though he forces it to be gentle as possible.

 _See only the stars,_   
_So small yet so wide,_   
_They stand still,_ _  
__But so fast is the time_ ,

 _Soon you are big,_   
_And can do everything alone,_ _  
_ _But until then,_ _you'll_ _sleep here with me_.

   Shiro’s trembling stills, and he tilts his head to watch Hunk’s face. His lip wobbles and the tears are still coming, but as the minutes pass his eyes start to droop, and his breaths even out.

   Slowly the tension bleeds out of his body until he lies limply against Hunk’s chest, fast asleep, but the yellow paladin keeps singing. He can’t get Shiro’s terrified cries out of his head.

   “Nothing actually changed, has it?” he finally whispers, realization dawning. “You were dealing with this before, you just never let us see it.”

   “Oh Shiro,” he chokes out, rubbing the boy’s back in long, easy strokes. Taking a deep breath, he reaches over to pick up his helmet, keying the mic to call the others.

   “Guys, a couple things to remember from now on,” he says, and waits for the chorus of acknowledgements before continuing.

   “One, never let Shiro go somewhere in the dark by himself, and two…” He looks down at the sleeping form in his arms, thinking back on all they have learned in the past few months.

   “...Maybe this whole thing isn’t so much a curse after all.”

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The song in this chapter is a rough translation of a German lullaby I grew up hearing and has huge nostalgic meaning to me! You can [listen to it here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJM48Kc6jx0&index=10&list=PLACD5B5E58417049E) (starts at 00:20).


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

   The Black lion growls lowly and flicks her massive tail, resuming her pacing around the hangar like a beast about to be released into a gladiator pit. Not long ago her sisters had all left the castle with their cubs, and their minds thrum with hers, a cacophony of thoughts and feelings.

 _It was a trap_ , comes Red’s snarling anger.

 _I foretold!_ cries Yellow.

 _Remain together; we must protect the castle,_ Blue insists, a burning protectiveness flowing from her to the rest of them.

   Black’s own cub was still in the castle, along with the Princess and advisor. Her paladin had not come to see her since he had been turned young, though he occasionally heard her speak to him. He seemed to be unaware of her presence in his mind, but she could sense him clearly, and his childlike emotions and struggles flooded her continuously. It was tiring, but she would endure. For him.

_The Galra ships are too many, without Voltron we will perish!_

   Black rebukes the Green lion for her poor faith and orders them to keep fighting. She paces the small space again, her rumblings making the floor tremble under her paws. Suddenly the castle’s alarm begins to wail, and she feels a spike of fear from her paladin’s bond. Frantic images from the other lions assault her mind, confirming her worst fears coming true.

   The castle has been boarded, and her cub is being taken.

   She can feel his dismay, his fear, and though he does not fully know what she is, his small, tender mind is reaching out to her with all his strength, tugging and clawing like a child grasping his mother's skirts to prevent being drawn away.

   Snarling viciously, she lunges forward and begins to paw at the hangar doors, the screech and clatter of her claws on metal enough to deafen weaker ears. Her sisters are crying out, trying to fight while also keeping track of where the attackers are taking the Alteans and...Shiro.

   The presence in her mind swells to a higher pitch, terrified and pleading for help. She has managed to dent the hangar doors and pry them open slightly, but there is no longer time for caution. As much as she does not want to damage the castle, she wants to protect her cub even more, especially in the vulnerable state that is supposed to be helping him. With an enraged roar she crouches, opening her mouth and blasting the doors off their hinges.

 

.......

  
   

   Shiro’s breath comes in short, panicked gasps as he struggles to keep his balance in the box he had been thrown in, jostling and swaying as the speeder tears over the desert landscape. The cramped space reeks of grease and sweat, and the wooden grains are rough on his hand and knees. Through the small holes at the top he can see dozens of other speeders kicking up great clouds of dust, all driven by the local inhabitants that had sold them out to the Galra.

   The Lyl-Tarians are massive, upright-walking creatures with dog-like heads, and covered completely in green shimmering scales. Their rough hands and stony eyes are doing nothing to calm Shiro’s fear, and he reaches out in his mind for that strange presence that always lingers there, the soothing voice that at times feels alive. It brushes against him faintly and he latches on, tugging hard and allowing his panic to rush through. The presence sharpens immediately, becoming stronger, and the sense of being protected flows over him.

 _I’m coming_ , it growls, and Shiro wonders how foolish he has gotten, to call on imaginary friends when in danger. The paladins are in their lions, and as they tear through the fleet of Galra ships above him Shiro can’t help the whimper that escapes.

   The speeder he is on begins to slow, then wobbles to a stop, engine cutting off abruptly. Shiro’s box is lifted into the air, and in a flash of instinct he drops to the bottom, closing his eyes and forcing his body to remain limp and still. The bright sun burns through his eyelids as the lid is opened, and the alien who looks in grumbles when they spot him. A massive hand grabs the shoulder of his shirt, lifting him out like a wet towel, and Shiro makes his limbs swing a little extra in hopes of selling the act.

   “What’dja do to ‘im Knard?” yells a distant voice, and the one holding Shiro huffs indignantly.

   “Nothing! I thought he could breathe in the box. You’d better check the other two.”

   With a little maneuvering they lay Shiro down on the hot ground, and the boy peeks his eyes open slightly. As soon as the hulking back is turned Shiro is up in a flash, leaping to his feet and running as fast as his legs will carry him. The sand is burning his bare feet, but just ahead is a rock outcropping where he can take shelter, and he scrambles over the terrain to reach it.

   There is shouting from behind him, but he is moving too quickly for the lumbering forms to keep up. A speeder engine starts up and draws closer, but before Shiro can turn to see where it is coming from, a thundering, whining shriek pierces the sky.

   The wreckage of a Galra ship plunges like a falling star, a black column of smoke in it’s wake. When it hits the ground, the shock wave is so powerful that Shiro trips and falls, getting dust and sand in his mouth. He pushes himself up on his hand and elbow, and it is then he hears her.

   A roar of vengeance, rolling over the barren wasteland and down to Shiro’s very bones. The sound echoes in his mind, and no sooner does he recognize it than a writhing metal figure bursts over a nearby mesa, blocking out the sun.

 _Oh. I have a lion,_ is the first thing he thinks, then; _That makes sense._

   Of course. She’d always been there, she was a part of him. He was _hers._

   Shiro grins toothily and clambers to his feet. The black lion lands in front of him with a mighty gust of wind, kicking up clouds of dust and sand. Shiro’s hair blows in his face and his loose clothing whips around his body, but he stands in frozen awe, watching as the mighty beast crouches low and peers at him with her golden eyes. Shiro can feel her nudging his mind, asking is he is alright. Her mouth opens slowly, and when he sees the extended ramp for the first time, he feels a strange, nostalgic pull.

   It feels like home.

 

   Shiro’s feet are moving before he knows it, and he is running again, up the ramp and into the glowing purple bowels of the ship. The cold metal under his bare feet is a stark contrast to the hot sand, and the ladder to get to the cockpit is a little hard to climb with one arm, but he makes it. A warm rush of belonging flows over him as he enters the cockpit, and the vibration of the lion’s purrs tickle his toes.

   It takes him a few tries to get into the seat. It’s smooth and huge and there’s no good handholds he can use to pull himself up. Finally, after a lunge and faceplant, he squirms into a sitting position, and grabs the left control stick. The view screens open up to reveal the battle-torn landscape before them, and Shiro almost jumps when he hears Black’s voice in his head, closer and clearer than the time in the kitchen, before he knew who he was talking to.

_Let’s go home, cub._

   Shiro stares at the control panel, then up at the smoky sky where the other lions are still fighting. His five small fingers grip the stick, and Shiro takes a deep breath, narrowing his eyes in determination.

  "No.”

 

.......

   

   Keith bites back a grunt of pain as a shot grazes Red, sending her reeling and snapping his head back against the seat. They are sorely outnumbered and losing strength rapidly, but the worst part of it all is that the castle has been raided. Allura, Coran, and Shiro--small, vulnerable Shiro, whom they had all sworn to protect with their lives--has been kidnapped.

   A terrified rage burns inside of Keith and he roars in sync with his lion, letting loose another blast that carves into the main battleship.

 _“We can’t do this much longer Keith!”_ cries Pidge, and he can feel the throbbing fear of the others through their bond even though they haven’t formed Voltron. He wants to reply to her but he doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know what to _do_. There is no visible way out, but they can’t possibly give up.

   If they could just take out the main mothership, victory would be theirs, but the seemingly endless stream of fighters are keeping them busy, shooting at them when they least expect it. The paladins can’t spare even a second to go look for their captured friends.

   Suddenly, Keith sees a video transmission pop up out of the corner of his eye. He assumes it’s one of the others, but when a few seconds pass and no one speaks, Keith tears his eyes away from the battle to look.

   The unmistakable view of the black lion’s cockpit sits there, large seat empty and quiet. Keith’s mind grinds to a halt, and he leans closer to get a better view.

 _“What? Guys are you seeing this?”_ he hears Hunk say. _“What’s the black lion doing online?”_ At this, Red flashes a rapid-fire of images at Keith, and the paladin gasps sharply.

   “Shiro!” he screams, and immediately the top of Shiro’s head pops up at the bottom of the screen.

 _“Yah?”_ he replies cheerily, his sparkling eyes and white poof of hair the only thing visible. _“Black came to get me,”_ he says. _“Isn't that cool?”_

 _“What are you doing?!”_ Pidge screeches, one of her shots flying off course in her shock.

   “Get back to the castle, you can’t be out here!” Keith demands, and Shiro huffs.

 _“You guys need help! An’ I can fly Black!”_ he assures. Lance’s sarcastic ‘ _oh THAT he remembers’_ floats over the radio and Keith groans, lining up for another shot at the mothership.

   “NO! Go back now. It’s too-”

   A laser beam hums past, close enough for its megawatts of energy to make Keith’s hair stand on end, and he barely dodges the next one. He sees Shiro stand up on the seat, an almost comical look of determination on his face as he leans his entire weight on the control stick, turning the lion just enough to shoot a blast at the fighter that had attacked Keith. A sick sort of dread overflows in Keith’s gut. Shiro can’t be out here, what is the black lion thinking?

_“Paladins! Are you alright? What’s happening up there?”_

   Keith’s eyes widen as the princess’s voice crackles over the radio, and the heavy burden on his lungs lifts a bit.

   “Allura?” he yelps. “How did you escape? Where’s Coran?”

_“He’s right here with me, and we managed to get away just fine thank you. We’re not damsels in distress you know. I won several national tournaments in hand-to-hand combat when-”_

_“That’s great Allura I’m really glad you’re ok but WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW!”_ Lance screeches. Keith breathes out in a deep exhale and refocuses on the challenge before them. The Alteans were safe, Shiro was...kind of safe. That solved one and a half problems out of three.

 _“Guys! Black is telling me something, I know what to do!”_ Shiro pipes up, but the other paladins immediately cry out in protest.

 _“NO! You are not doing that again! Don’t use ANY of your lion’s powers Shiro.”_ Lance shouts over Hunk’s panicked babbles.

 _“...not the boss a’ me,”_ Shiro mutters, and Keith inwardly curses his friend's stubborn streak.

   “Guys it’s the mothership that’s our biggest threat,” he grinds out, ignoring little Shiro’s outburst. “Focus all your energy on taking that out. Don’t worry about the fighters, we can take a few small hits.”

   The others reply in acknowledgement and fan out, heading towards the battleship. Keith hears noises from the black lion’s video and he glances over, but Shiro is nowhere to be seen. There is a clattering sound, and after a few seconds Keith spots the small boy slipping and sliding around the cockpit, trying to chase down his bayard as Black swerves and careens through the sky.

   “Shiro!” he growls, unable to conceal the fear that slips through the mask of anger.

 _“Don’ worry, it’ll work!”_ Shiro retorts, finally managing to snag the bayard. He  stumbles forward and slams it into the glowing port, and Keith’s chest cracks, a dry sob escaping his lips.

   “No Shiro, we just got you back…” he pleads, eyes stinging and throat tightening with panic. If the others are talking Keith doesn’t hear it, watching in slow motion as Shiro heaves the controls to move Black into position, heading straight for the ship. He's so small that it takes an exorbant amount of force to turn the bayard, and after leaning all his weight on his arm, he does it.

   There is an audible click, and three things happen in quick succession: Shiro looks up and meets Keith’s eyes through the screen, a stray fighter crunches headfirst into Red’s side, and the Black lion vanishes into a burst of light.

 

 

......

 

   Hunk doesn’t realize he’s hyperventilating until Pidge calls him out on it.

   In his defense, he had just watched one of his best friends--who had already disappeared in battle once mind you--use an incredibly dangerous and mystical power and disappear _again._ It didn’t help that said friend had been magically turned into a kid, and his big grey eyes tugged at Hunk’s heartstrings every time he so much as looked at him-

_“-nk...Hunk!”_

   Hunk shakes his head and tries to focus on Lance, who had been calling him several times.

   “Y-yeah?” he replies shakily.

_“Go help Keith! And keep a lookout for the black lion. Where the quiznack did they go?!”_

   Hunk shudders and rolls his lion, diving to catch Keith’s damaged lion as it falls toward the planet’s surface. Just as he clamps Yellow’s claws soundly on the smaller lion, a thunderous explosion rocks the atmosphere, filling the screen with a blinding light and sending them both tumbling.

   “What was that?!” he cries, struggling to right himself and blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Lance is the first one to respond.

_“The mothership just exploded! How did that happen?”_

_“Where’s Shiro?”_ Keith demands, and Hunk sighs with relief at hearing his voice.

   Pidge screams wordlessly, and Hunk’s eyes widen when he spots the Black lion, materializing out of the drifting wreckage in a blaze of quintessence light. The paladins begin yelling Shiro’s name but there is no response, and Black ignores them to head straight for the castle. Since the only thing left of the ship is a few remains, and the fighters are retreating, they admit the battle is over and follow, stunned.

 _“What,”_ Lance huffs, _“Is going on?”_ Hunk opens his mouth to say _I have absolutely no idea, Lance, thanks for asking,_ when another voice makes them all freeze.

 _“Lance?”_ Shiro rasps. _“Guys, what...where’s Zarkon?”_

   Hunk’s chin drops and he hears the others gasp over the radio. Shiro’s voice...it’s the voice they thought they’d never hear again, deep and full like it sounded in what feels like a lifetime ago.

 _“Shiro?”_ Keith asks breathlessly, and the Black lion abruptly stops her flight to the castle, staggering in the sky as if Shiro had grabbed her controls.

 _“Stay together!”_ Shiro booms, voice ragged as his panting breaths echo over the transmission. _“Where...are we? I-”_

 _“Shiro listen to me,”_ Lance says calmly. _“The battle’s over. Just head back to the castle, we’re all fine.”_ Shiro doesn’t reply, but the black lion resumes her flight.

   They all land rather clumsily in the main hangar, and Hunk stumbles in his hurry to get out of the cockpit. Running footsteps echo in the huge room as the others join him in rushing toward the black lion. A frazzled-looking Allura and Coran appear from a side entrance to join them, and the situation is so scarily familiar that Hunk forces himself to remain calm, holding onto the fact that he _knows_ Shiro is here this time.

   While they are still a small distance from Black, she rumbles deeply and lowers her head. The small group freezes in their tracks, and they watch with baited breath as the gaping mouth slowly opens.

   A few heart-stopping seconds pass, and when Shiro finally emerges, Hunk’s breath catches in his throat. Their Shiro, grown-up Shiro, is back, ducking under Black’s tooth and taking an unsteady step onto the hangar floor. Apparently the clothes he had as a kid did not grow with him, because he is wearing the basic pants and tank top that they keep in their lions for backup. His hair is a mess and he’s rubbing his eyes, looking bewildered and a little anxious. When he notices the others there he looks up, eyes slightly bleary but lighting up when he sees them.

   Of course, Hunk bursts into tears.

   “Shiro,” he sobs rushing closer. “Oh man, you’re alright.” The instinct to cuddle is still strong from the months of Shiro’s regression, and without a second guess the yellow paladin pulls Shiro into a tight hug. Shiro is taller than him now, frame large and bulky with muscle, but the way his hair tickles Hunk’s chin and his fingers clutch his shirt is achingly familiar. Instead of faking a composed smile like he would have before the battle with Zarkon, Shiro rests his cheek on Hunk’s shoulder and wraps his arm up around his back.

   Pidge wiggles in and latches onto Shiro’s waist, burying her face in his stomach, and Lance moves Hunk’s arm just enough to squeeze in and get his arms around Shiro too. Allura moves in over Pidge’s head and puts her arms around both Shiro and Hunk, and Coran attaches himself to Lance’s side of the pile, sniffling loudly. They are all in some stage of tearfulness, and it takes a minute for Hunk to realize that someone is missing. He looks up to see Keith standing frozen behind Shiro, staring at their returned friend with palm outstretched and lightly trailing down Shiro’s back, as if he can hardly believe he is there. His gaze is far away, a mix of fear and hope, and Hunk refuses to let it continue.

   “Keith,” he says softly, causing the other boy to meet his gaze. “It’s real,” he assures. “He’s here.”

   Keith’s eyes water and he bites his lip, taking the last step forward and pressing his forehead to Shiro’s broad back. Hunk feels Keith’s arms worm around to Shiro’s front, and Lance and Pidge shuffle to accommodate him. For a few blissful, heartwarming moments, they stand there in silence, wrapped together and feeling one another's heartbeats.

   Eventually Shiro squirms a bit and they release him, watching him like hawks as he blinks slowly and runs his fingers through his hair.

   “It’s good to see you too,” he says, his deep, soft voice like music to their ears. “But I’d appreciate if someone told me what was going on. What happened to Zarkon?”

   “We defeated him,” Allura replies gently. “But that was a few months ago. I'm assuming you don't remember what happened since then?”

   Shiro’s face crumples and he shakes his head, no doubt disappointed at his loss of even more memories.

   “No I don't,” he says. “What did I miss?”

   The paladins all start talking over each other, eager to fill him in on their adventures, before Coran finally shushes them all and tells the story as short and clearly as possible. Shiro’s eyes grow wider with every sentence, and by then end of it Hunk is worried he might pass out from shock.

   “So you don't have any idea how I was turned into a kid, or turned back?” Shiro asks, and the others shake their heads.

   “Nope, but I bet Black had something to do with it,” Lance says. “I mean, you were in her when it happened now, maybe that's what happened last time too.”

   They talk for a while longer, the paladins subtly giving more affection and Shiro soaking it up. He’s different somehow, and though Hunk can't seem to put his finger on it, he seems lighter and happier.

   An idea suddenly pops into his mind and Hunk reaches out, ruffling Shiro’s hair. Instantly the black paladin melts, leaning into the touch and beaming so hard his eyes close. He laughs softly, and when the others start giggling at his reaction, he snaps out of the trance with a deep blush. Suddenly five hands are ruffling his hair and rubbing his face, and though he protests weakly, his eyes are sparkling at the affection. He reaches out to playfully grab Pidge and Keith, but stops abruptly.

   “Oh…” he says, looking down at the empty space. “I almost forgot, where’s my Galra arm?”

   “We have it, but it's pretty smashed up,” interjects Coran. “No telling what happened there, but we’ll get a new one fixed up for you in two shakes of a yam’s tail!” Pidge snorts at the misnomer and pats the man on the shoulder.

   “Altean tech is seriously better and much easier to maintain than Galra stuff,” she says. “If it's ok with you we’ll get started right away!”

   “Not until after we get him to the med bay, for a check up,” Allura insists, gently pushing Shiro in that direction.

   Shiro smiles, relaxing noticeably. “Yeah,” he says softly. “That’d be nice.”

   The little group trundles out of the room, moving slowly since no one wants to let go of Shiro. Hunk lingers back, gazing up at the black lion thoughtfully. The distressed hum that brushed the back of his mind whenever he walked past is gone now, replaced by a contented, happy sensation Hunk could only describe as a purr.

   The wheels of his mind start to turn, and before he knows it he is walking the few steps to the desk where they keep the work logs. Pulling out his personal journal bound with a silver Altean leather, he opens to a random page and starts writing, wanting to record his thoughts before he forgets. When he is finished, he drops it back and sprints of out the room, eager to return to his friends.

   The lions remain seated, as silent as they have been for millennia, keeping watch over their small warriors.

 

.......

 

_I have a theory._

_Today I realized that maybe the Black Lion knew. She knew all along that Shiro was hurting and wouldn't be able to heal in his current position--that he wouldn’t allow himself to heal. Maybe she turned him into a child on purpose, so we would be able to understand him better and give him the love and care he so desperately needed. Either way it certainly opened our eyes, and as hard as the experience was, I’m thankful it happened. Shiro looks happier now, stronger. I’ll never be able to prove it, of course, but it’s an interesting idea. I wonder if we’ll ever know everything there is to know about these creatures, or if they’ll always be a mystery._

_I gotta go now. There’s definitely a sleepover happening and I need in on it. Shiro’s looking a little overwhelmed, but in a good way. I’ve never seen him smile this big, or laugh this much. I bet he’s tired too, after all this excitement. A good cup of hot chocolate and some blankets ought to put him right to sleep._

_It’s like seeing a new person (honestly I’m tearing up a bit)._

_Thanks, Black._

 

_Sincerely,_

 

__\- Yellow’s cub_ _

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! Hope you enjoyed it, please leave us your thoughts! <3

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr @paladin-pile


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